Automatic signal and stop light



Feb. 26, 1935. D. J. sANToRA 1,992,775

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL AND STOP LIGHT Filed April 23, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet lv [nyefzr Feb. 26, 1935. D. J. SANTORA 1,992,775

AUTOMATIC SIGNAL AND STOP LIGHT Filed April 23, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. ze, 193s 1,992,775

UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE aUToMnric sional. Aim sror ucm: Daniel J. sentore, weet Collingswood; N. J. applicati@ April 23, 1930, serial No. also z claim. (cl. l'z'l-azs)v My invention relates to new and useful in i- Fig. 3 is a side elevation or end view with a provements in an automatic signal and stop light portion of the signal casing broken away. for use in connection with automobiles or other In carrying out my invention s herein emvehicles, especially self-propelled ones carrying bodied, 5 represents the Signal proper which may 5 a source of electrical energy, and means for acconsist of a base plate or supporting member 5 tuating an air or vacuum motor, such as is gen- 6 fashioned to provide locations for the Signal f erally used in connection with wind shield wiplamps endcther parts and as herein illustrated, ers and has for one of its objects to provide an said base plate or supporting member has outexceedingly simple and effective device of this WaidlY Projecting walls orangeS 7 and 8 to vehicle or incorporated as a part thereof during also an outstanding flange 0i' Wall 11 S0 as t0 the course of manufacture of the vehicle. Partially encloSe the compartment 12 between Another object of the invention is to provide the lamp compartments. but there being no Wall a dashing signal having unique features and or flange at the bottom ofthe last mentioned embodying novel details of construction. compartment. the lower Dart of said compart- 15 A further object of the invention is to provide ment Will be open even when the lid or closure a flashing signal for vehicles for indicating tooi cover plate 13 iS in Place and therefore light surrounding trame or pedestrians that'` the oprays from a real' indicating lamp may Shine upon erator of the vehicle equipped with such a siga license Plate depending from the lower Part 0 nal is about to change his course or bring 'the of the baSe Plate o1 Supporting member- 20 vehicle to a stop, For convenience of fastening the license plate A still further object of the invention is to on to the Signal, a Slot 14 may be Provided for provide a signal which will be plainly visible to the reception of Suitable faStening devices which surrounding trame, especially traic following the DaSS through the license Dlate Y will be actuated in such a manner as'to be a Socket 15 to hold an electric lamp ol bulb sure to attract the attention of surrounding traf- (not shown) and this will always show a light nc and thereby reduce to a. minimum the likeli- When the lighting circuit iS closed.

hood of accidents 'which often times result in vIn the Signal compartments 9 and 10 are loproperty damage or actual 105s of life, cated electric lamp sockets 16 and 17 respective- 30 Another object oi the invention is to provide 1y for the reception cf electric lamps cr bulbs.

a signal of the kind mentioned embodying a. one of which is shown in Fig-3 and indicated by plurality of lamps, preferably twoin number and the numeral 18. The electric lamp sockets 16 preferably electric lamps, each having an indeand 17 are connected by conductors 19 With 00nalternately completing the circuits through the oi' Supporting member and located Within the two lamps and an air motor for actuating the compartment `12, preferably in the uliliei Dart switch element. thereoi.| as shown in Fig. 2, the said contact mem- With these ends in view, this invention con- 4bers being separated but in the path of travel sists in the details of construction and combinaofF an oscillating blade 22 whicheis of electrical 40 tion of elements hereinafter set forth and then conductive material and therefore acts as a specincally designated by the claims. switch element.

In order that those skilled in the art to which The blade 22 is mounted upon that end of the r this invention appertains may understand how Shaft 23 which projects through the base Plate 4" to make and use the same, I will describe its 0r Supporting member and Said Shaft iS carried 45 construction in detail, referring by numerals to by the reciprocating motor 24 preferably 0f the the accompanying drawings forming a part of air or vacuum operated type and is similar to this application, in whichthose used in connection with wind shield wipers Fig. 1 is a diagrammatical view of the invenbut some other suitable form of motor may be 50 tion in which is illustrated a part of an autoutilized. One example of a motor such as re- 50 mobile engine, the gear shift and brake mechferred to herein is shown in Patent #1,709,682, anism, the signal andcomponent parts or condated April 16, 1929. As herein illustrated, this necting elements. motor is connected by means oi a tube 25 or `Fig. 2 is a face' view of the base or supporting other suitable equivalent conduit with the intake 55 plate with the cover or casing removed. manifold 2,6 of an engine 27, said engine being 55 character which may be readily applied to a provide Signallamp compartments 9 and 10 and 10 I vehicle equipped with such a signal and which In the lower .part ci the compartment 12 is 25 pendent circuit, 'c swinging switch element for tact members 20 and 21 carried by the base plate 35 the source of power for running the vehicle. It

will be readily understood that the tube or conduit 25 may be connected in some other way as for instance to the outlet of a carburetor or to a vacuum tank.

Wherever a suction device or means is hereinafter referred to, it is to include any device or means for causing a i'iow of air through the motor 24. In the pipe or conduit 25 is a valve 28 to control the passage of air through said conduit and the valve handle 29 has one end of a connecting rod 30 pivoted thereto while the other end o f said connecting rod is pivoted to the brake lever 31 in such manner that when the brake lever is depressed or actuated for applying the brakes, the valve 28 will be more or less open according to the degree of movement of the brake lever and the opening of said valve will permit the suction device or means to draw airfrom the conduit 25 and thereby operate the motor 24 as is well known. The functioning of the motor 24 will rotate the shaft 23 and therefore oscillate the blade 22 causing it to alternately engage the contact members 20 and 21 thereby partially completing the circuit through the sockets 16 and- 17 or the signal lights or bulbs 18 mounted in said sockets.

The reference numeral 32 denotes a conductor connecting one side of.' a switch 33' with the oscillating blade 22,` as through the shaft 23 while the other side of said switch may be connected by a conductor 34 with one pole of a source of electric energy 35, such as a battery and the other pole of the battery is grounded on the frame of the vehicle as is the general practice and the signal device is electrically connected with the vehicle frame as is also usual, thus providing electrical communication between the signal lamp sockets or the signal lamps or bulbs therein and the other pole of the battery, such communication being illustrated as a conductor- 36 in the diagrammatic view in Fig. l.

The movable element of the switch 33 has a handle 37 to which is pivoted one end of a oorlnecting rod or pitman 38 while the opposite end ofsaid pitman oir-connecting roel 38 is pivotally connected with the brake lever 3l so that as the latter is moved in the direction for applying the brakes, the switch 33 will be closed to also partially provide a circuit through the signal lamps but it is to be understood that this circuit is only completed at such time as the switch 33 is closed and the yoscillating blade 22 is in engagement with one oil the contacts 2@ or 2l..

On the base plate or supporting member is mounted a lid or cover 46 so as to enclose the several compartments and this lid or cover carries the transparent means or lenses 4l. through which the rays of light from the several lamps pass. it being understood, t At there is a lens provided with each signal lamp as well as the rear indicating lamp.

-'As soon as the brake lever is actuated or depressed for applying the brakes of the vehicle having the signal installed thereon, the switch 33 will be closed thereby partially completing the circuit or circuits through the signal lamps. Simultaneously with the closing of this part ot the circuit, the valve 28 will be open and assuming that the suction means is operating or functioning, air will be caused to flow through the conduit 25 for operating the motor 24.

The operation ofk the motor will rotate the shaft 23 and therefore oscillate the blade 22 and cause it to alternately engagethe contacts 20 and 21 thereby completing a circuit through one signal lamp and then the other so that said signal lamps will be intermittently lighted to produce a flashing effect which will immediately attract attention to persons in the vicinity thereof and will indicate to following tramo that the operatorof the vehicle equipped with such signal is about to stop or change his direction of travel, thus cautioning the following trafiic to be careful or on the alert.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details of construction as herein shown, as these may be varied within the limits of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and useful is:-

1. In a device of the kind described, a housing having three separate compartments arranged side by side, a lamp socket in each of the outer compartments, two contact members in the centrai compartment and in spaced relation, means to connect one of said contact members with one of the lamp sockets, means to connect the other contact member with the other lamp socket, and an oscillating blade of electric conductive material for connection with a source of electrical energy and alternately engaging the contact members.

2. In a signal, a housing fashioned to provide three compartments in a row, a blade of electrical conductive material mounted in the central cornpartment and connected with a source of elec trical energy, means to oscillate said blade, a pair of contacts also mounted in the central compartment in spaced relation and on opposite sides of the blade in the path of travel thereof for alternate engagement thereby, a lamp socket in each of the end compartments, electric lamps in said sockets, a conductor connected to one of the contacts and one of the sockets, and another conductor connected to the other contact and the other socket whereby a circuit will be completed through each lamp alternately when the blade engages the contacts of the respective lamps.

' DANIEL J. SANTORA. 

